aphis attacks. I have never known the aphis so hard to control as they
were last summer.
Nearly all fruit trees made an excellent growth this season, and the new
wood was well ripened when the freeze-up came. The fall rains provided
plenty of moisture, and our trees should come through the winter in
excellent shape.
Raspberries and currants produced about one-half the usual crop this
year, probably owing to our May freeze.
Strawberries were almost a failure, largely due to winter-killing. Last
winter did more damage to perennial plants than any other winter within
the recollection of the writer. The fall was rather dry, and our snow
covering did not come until January.
We received from Supt. Haralson for trial four plum trees, variety No.
1; and fifty everbearing strawberry plants, variety No. 1017. Both plum
trees and strawberry plants made a good growth. Although the
strawberries were set heavily with fruit, but little of it ripened
before the heavy frosts came. The plant is very vigorous, and the berry
is large and of excellent quality.
Annual Report, 1915, Vice-President, Tenth Congressional District.
M. H. HEGERLE, SUPT., ST. BONIFACIUS.
On May 18th we had several inches of snow accompanied by a fierce
northwest wind, and orchards without any shelter suffered seriously, and
both apples and plums in such orchards were scarce and of a rather
inferior quality. A few orchards had a fair crop, while a couple of
others with a natural windbreak had a fairly good crop, but on an
average it was the lightest apple and plum crop we have had for some
time.
Mr. Beiersdorf and Mr. Swichtenberg report a good crop of Wealthy and
Peter. Their orchards are close to a lake and are well protected on the
north and west by a natural grove.
Of the twenty-four report blanks sent out, eleven were returned properly
filled in, and they all report conditions about as above outlined.
Cherries and grapes suffered even more from the cold than the apples,
and that crop was very light. My Homer cherry trees look healthy and are
growing fine, but the past two years had not enough fruit to supply the
birds.
Raspberries and strawberries were a good crop and of exceptional fine
quality, but the currants and gooseberries were a total failure in my
garden as well as elsewhere, according to all reports received.
There were not many fruit trees planted in this district the past year.
For instance, at this station the deliveries last spring consisted
principally of bundles containing one-half dozen or a dozen trees each,
and the total number delivered in that way did not exceed 200 trees and,
according to all information, the planting throughout this district was
very light.
I know of only one new orchard started with 700 four and five year old
trees. About 500 are Wealthys and the balance Patten Greenings. The
trees made a good start but were somewhat neglected during the summer,
the field being planted to corn and some to barley, and all was handled
rather rough.
There was very little blight in this district the past year. I noticed
just a little on two or three Transcendents, and Mr. Jos. Boll, who has
about 1,500 bearing trees, reports no blight at all.
I did no spraying this year, did not consider it worth while, as there
was no fruit, and most others felt the same way. Other years though a
lot of spraying is done, and the more progressive ones spray two and
three times.
There is plenty of moisture in the soil, and the trees are going into
winter quarters in good shape, therefore prospects for apple and plum
crop the coming season are excellent.
[Illustration: Residence of M. H. Hegerle, St. Bonifacius.]
Probably a hundred or more different kinds of apple and plum trees and
berries of all kinds are grown here. Farmers in the past usually bought
what the salesman recommended, just to get rid of him; lately though
they are taking more interest in the selection, and the Wealthy,
Patten's or Northwestern Greenings, Okabena, Peter and perhaps a few
Duchess are about the only apple trees planted now. Surprise plums,
Dunlap and everbearing strawberries are the leaders.
Ornamental shrubs are found here of all names and descriptions and
colors, and they all seem to do well.
* * * * *
HONEY VINEGAR.--Vinegar made from honey has an exceptionally
fine flavor and is not expensive. A small amount of honey furnishes a
large amount of vinegar. Follow these directions: Dissolve thoroughly in
two gallons of warm, soft water one quart jar of extracted honey. Give
it air and keep it in a warm place, where it will ferment and make
excellent vinegar.--Missouri College of Agriculture.
Thirty Years in Raspberries.
GUST JOHNSON, RETIRED FRUIT GROWER, MINNEAPOLIS.
Of the growing of fruit, it may well be said, "Experience is a good
teacher, but a dear school."
When I began fruit growing, some thirty years ago, I did not begin it
merely as an experiment. I was interested in every branch of the work
and, being very much in earnest about it, I felt confident of success.
Thinking that the failures and drawbacks sometimes experienced could be
easily overcome by a thorough understanding of the work at hand, I began
by getting all the information possible. I found that great books such
as by Downing, Thomas, etc., were more suitable for the advanced fruit
grower, but I studied all the pamphlets and books obtainable during the
winter months and put this knowledge into practice during the summer. Of
course I could not put into practice all I had obtained from this
reading, but I remembered distinctly the advice to all amateur fruit
growers to start out slowly. This was particularly suited to my case,
for the land was covered with timber, some of which I grubbed each
summer, gradually adding acres as I cleared the land.
My first venture was in planting raspberries, planting potatoes between
the rows the first year. One delusion I had was in planting as many
different and untested varieties as I could afford to buy and not
confining myself to those that had been tried and had proven
satisfactory. Fortunately for me, the high cost of plants at this time
did not warrant my buying as many different varieties as I desired, and
I had to be contented with fewer plants. From the most promising of
these, I saved all the plants possible.
I had an idea that I could do better by sending to some of the Eastern
states for my plants, but here again I was mistaken, for the plants
often did not arrive until late in May, and by the time they had reached
their destination were practically all dried out. The warm weather then
coming on, I lost the greater part of them, although I had carefully
hoed and tended them in the hope that they would finally revive. Here I
might also mention that the express charges added considerably to the
cost of these already expensive plants.
As a beginner I put much unnecessary labor on these plants. While I do
not wish to leave the impression that hoeing and caring for them is not
all right, still there should be a happy medium which I later learned as
I became more experienced along this line. I must admit, however, that
this rich, new land thus cultivated certainly yielded some wonderful
fruit.
As time went by, I kept adding to my plantation, and owing to the large
yield and the good demand for the black caps I took a fancy to raising
them. When the Palmer variety was first introduced, I planted quite a
field of them. I shall never forget the way these berries ripened, and
such a lot of them as there were. Practically every one by this time
having planted black caps, their great yield soon overstocked the
market, and berries finally dropped as low as 65c or 70c a crate.
Having decided to dig up these black caps, I began paying closer
attention to the red raspberry. I noticed that the raspberries growing
wild on my place grew mostly in places where big trees had been cut down
and young trees had grown up, thus partly shading the plants. Having
this fact in mind, I planted the raspberries as follows: I planted an
orchard, having the trees in parallel rows, and between the trees in
these same rows I planted the raspberries. By planting in this manner,
the cultivation would benefit the trees as well as the smaller plants.
Of course after the trees began bearing heavily, the plants nearest the
trees had to be removed, and later the other plants likewise were
removed.
As a beginner it was a puzzle to me which varieties I should plant. All
varieties listed in the numerous catalogs were so highly recommended as
being hardy, large yielders, good shippers, etc., that the selection of
plants was not an easy matter.
The speed with which a new variety of raspberry is sent out over the
country and discarded is surprising. The most popular sort at this time
was the "Turner" variety. I did not, however, fancy this variety, for it
suckered so immensely that it required continual hoeing to keep the new
plants cut down. The berries were unusually soft and settled down in the
boxes, which greatly detracted from their appearance in the crates.
There were also at this time a few of the "Philadelphia" variety being
planted. They are a dark, soft variety and somewhat similar to the
Turner.
Just at this time there was being sent out a new variety, known as the
Cuthbert, or Queen of the Market, and queen it was indeed. This was a
large, firm berry, and after ripening it would remain on the plant a
long time without falling off. These plants grew up in remarkably long
canes, but not knowing how to head them back they would often topple
over during a heavy storm. This added another valuable lesson to my
increasing experience, which resulted in my pinching of the new canes as
soon as they had attained a height of from three to four feet. This made
the plants more stocky and more able to support their load of berries
without the aid of wire or stakes.
Next came the Marlboro, plants of which sold at as much as a dollar
apiece in the east. I then set out a bed of Marlboro, which proved to be
even better than the Cuthbert, previously mentioned. They could be
picked while still quite light in color, thus reaching the market while
still firm and not over-ripe. There was only one possible drawback, and
that was the fact that I had planted them on a southern exposure, while
they were more adapted to a colder or northern exposure. This variety on
a new field, as it was, practically bore itself to death.
About this time, there originated in Wisconsin a berry known as the
Loudon. A committee of nurserymen having gone to see this variety
returned with the report that the half had not been told concerning this
great berry. Wanting to keep up with the times, I decided to plant some
of this variety in the spring. The yield from these plants was immense,
and the berries large, but unlike the Marlboro already mentioned they
could not be picked until very dark and real ripe. This variety was more
subject to anthracnose than any I had seen, and served to give me a
thorough understanding of the various raspberry diseases, which I had
heretofore blamed to the drouth. The leaves would dry up and the berries
become small and crumbly when affected by anthracnose. It might be said
of this variety as regards public favor, that it went up like a rocket
and came down equally fast.
I next tried the Thompson Early as an experiment, but this variety
proved a failure, or at least a disappointment. These berries ripened
very slowly, just a few at a time, and did not compare favorably with
either the Marlboro or the Loudon.
A party close by had at this time planted out a large field of a variety
of raspberry which I had not seen before. These plants produced a large
berry, more like a blackberry in appearance. Having by this time had
experience with so many kinds of raspberries, I examined this new
variety carefully, and all in all decided that this was the coming
berry. Here, too, I also noticed the first signs of disease. The plants
had only begun to bear fruit, however, and judging from the strong,
tall canes, they looked good for at least fifteen years. This disease,
however, practically destroyed the entire field within two years. Before
too badly diseased, I had obtained and planted out a couple of acres of
these plants and immediately began spraying them. The following spring I
sprayed them again, and although the plants became perfectly healthy, I
sprayed them once or twice during the summer, and it is needless to say
the result was a berry which, considering all its good points, was
certainly deserving of the name it bore, which was "King." In fact, I do
not hope to see anything better in the raspberry line during the next
thirty years, that is, any seedling having all its merits: a strong
growth, hardiness of cane, an immense bearer and a good shipper. It's
only fault is that the berries will drop from the plants when real ripe,
but if you are on the job this can easily be averted.
As far as anthracnose is concerned, I have found that there is not a
variety of raspberry standing out in an open field, unsprayed or partly
shaded, that will stand up under a heavy crop without being affected by
this disease.
After increasing my plantation, as I had by this time, I found I
required more help. Ability in managing my helpers was a necessity. My
experience with them in the field was that when I set them to hoeing a
newly set raspberry field if not watched they would destroy half the
roots, loosening the little hold the struggling plants had, by cutting
close and hoeing the soil away from the roots. I have seen supposedly
intelligent men plowing alongside of the plants, thinking they were
doing their work so much more thoroughly, but if they would dig up one
plant before plowing and another after, they would readily see the
results of their plowing.
A born farmer assumes that everybody knows how to handle a hoe or a
plow, but why should they, not having had practical experience? When put
to work such as hoeing, they would make the most outlandish motions with
the hoe, often destroying valuable plants, not being able to distinguish
them from the weeds. Though they may labor just as hard, they cannot
possibly accomplish as much as the expert who can skillfully whirl a hoe
around a plant in such a manner as to remove every weed and yet not
injure the plant in the least. In other words, the best efforts of the
novice cannot possibly bring the results so easily accomplished by the
more skillful laborer. Except in a few cases, I have found inexperienced
help a discouragement.
In hiring pickers who had to come quite far each morning, I found that
if the morning had been wet and rainy, but had later turned out to be a
nice day, they would not come at all. The sun coming out after these
showers would cause the berries to become over-ripe and to drop from the
bushes, or if still on the bush would be too ripe for shipping. These
same pickers, when berries were scarce, would rush through the rows,
merely picking the biggest and those most easily acquired.
Having tried pickers as mentioned, I decided that to get pickers from
the city and board them would be the better plan. While they seemed to
work more for the pleasure connected with life on the farm than with the
idea of making money, yet after a little training and a few rules, most
of them would make splendid pickers, and my berries being carefully
picked and in first class condition, would readily sell to the best
trade.
Leaving the subject of berries and berry picking, I will dwell briefly
on my experience with the winter covering of the plants. At first I
would cover the canes in an arch-like manner, which would require more
than 18 inches of soil to cover them, and it was necessary to shovel
much by hand. In the spring I found it quite a task to remove all this
soil and get it back in place between the rows. After I learned to cover
them properly, that is flat on the ground, I found it required but a
small amount of soil to cover them, and in the spring it was only
necessary to use a fork to remove the covering, and with a little lift
they were ready to start growth again.
After getting more and more fruit, I found I could not dispose of it in
the home market, and tending to the picking and packing of the fruit did
not leave enough time to warrant my peddling it. I had been advised to
ship my berries to two or three different commission houses in order to
see where I could obtain the best results. I frequently divided my
shipments into three parts: consequently some of my fruit would meet in
competition with another lot of my fruit, and not only would one concern
ask a higher or lower price than the other, but they would not know when
to expect my shipments, which they would receive on alternate days. I
finally came to the conclusion that I would send all my fruit to one
party, and I found that it was not only more of an object to them, but
people would come every day to buy some, knowing they were getting the
same quality each time.
Although it has been my experience that the raspberry is never a
failure, still I have found that it is a good policy not to depend
entirely on the raspberry, but to extend the plantation in such a way as
to have a continuous supply of fruits and vegetables in season, from the
asparagus and pie plant of the early spring to the very latest variety
of the grape and apple ripening just before the heavy frost of fall,
when it is again time to tuck them all away for the winter.
Mr. Ludlow: Do I understand that you have to lay down and cover up those
red raspberries?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir; otherwise you only get a few berries right at the
top of the cane, and if you cover them the berries will be all along
down the cane.
The President: Do you break off many canes by covering them?
Mr. Johnson: No, it is the way you bend them. When you bend them down,
make a kind of a twist and hold your hand right near them. You can bend
them down as quick as a couple of men can shovel them down.
Mr. Anderson: Do you bend them north or south or any way?
Mr. Johnson: I generally bend one row one way and the other the other
way. Where you want to cultivate, it is easier for cultivation; you
don't have to go against the bend of those plants. That bend will never
be straight again, and when you come to cultivate you are liable to rub
them.
Mr. Anderson: How far have you got yours planted apart?
Mr. Johnson: About five feet.
Mr. Sauter: What is your best raspberry?
Mr. Johnson: I haven't seen anything better than the King.
Mr. Sauter: Do you cover the King?
Mr. Johnson: Yes.
Mr. Sauter: We don't do it on the experimental station. I never covered
mine, and I think I had the best all around berry last summer.
Mr. Johnson: That might be all right when they are young, but I find it
pays me.
A Member: Don't they form new branches on the sides when you pinch off
the ends?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir; then you pinch them off.
A Member: Don't they break right off from the main stalk in laying down?
Mr. Johnson: No, no.
A Member: We have a great deal of trouble with that. How do you get
these bushy bushes to lie down?
Mr. Johnson: I take three or four canes, and kind of twist them, give
them a little twist, and lay them flat on the ground.
Mr. Anderson: Don't you take out any dirt on the sides?
Mr. Johnson: No, sir; sometimes I might put a shovel of ground against
them to bend the canes over.
Mr. Rogers: Do you plant in the hedge row or in the hill system?
Mr. Johnson: In the hedge row. I think it is better because they protect
one another.
Mr. Ludlow: How far do you put them apart in the hedge row?
Mr. Johnson: Four feet. That is the trouble with the King, if you don't
keep them down, your rows will get too wide.
A Member: I heard you say a while ago you covered these. Do you plow
them after you get them down or do you cover them with a shovel?
Mr. Johnson: I cover mostly with a shovel. Sometimes I take a small plow
through.
A Member: Don't you think in covering them with a plow you might disturb
the roots?
Mr. Johnson: That is the danger.
A Member: I saw a fellow covering up twelve acres of black caps and he
plowed them shut. After I heard what you said I thought maybe that he
was injuring his roots.
Mr. Johnson: You know the black cap has a different root system from the
reds. The roots of the reds will run out all over the road.
Mr. Willard: How thick do you leave those canes set apart in the row,
how many in a foot?
Mr. Johnson: I generally try to leave them in hills four feet apart, not
let them come in any between. About three or four in a hill. I generally
try to cut out the weak ones.
Mr. Willard: You pinch the end of the tops, I think?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir.
A Member: When do you cut those sucker canes?
Mr. Johnson: I generally hoe them just before picking time and loosen
the ground in the row. That is very important, to give them a hoeing,
not hoe down deep, but just loosen that hard crust there and cut all the
plants that you don't want, and then generally, after the berries
commence to ripen, your suckers don't come so fast, and you keep on
cultivating once in a while.
Mr. Brackett: I have some King raspberries, and I never covered them up
in ten years. I will change that. The first year I did cover a part of
my patch, at least one-half of them, and that left the other half
standing, and I couldn't see any difference. Around Excelsior there are
very few people that cover up the King raspberry. But the King raspberry
has run out; all of the old varieties have run out. We have at our
experiment station the No. 4--you can get double the amount of fruit
from the No. 4 than from the King. The best way to grow the King
raspberry or any other raspberry is to set them four feet apart and
cultivate them. If you grow a matted row you are bound to get weeds and
grass in there, you are bound to get them ridged up, but by planting in
hills and cultivating each way you can keep your ground perfectly level.
As far as clipping them back my experience has been it is very hard to
handle them--they will spread out. It is a big job to cover the plants
and then to uncover them again. I know it is not necessary with the No.
4; that is hardy. That is what we want. Hardiness is what we want in a
berry, and you have it in the No. 4.
Mr. Hall: I would like to ask you what you spray with and when you
spray?
Mr. Johnson: The bordeaux mixture. I spray them early in the spring and
just before they start to ripen.
Mr. Wick: With us the Loudon raspberry seems to be the coming raspberry.
Mr. Johnson: Is it doing well now?
Mr. Wick: Yes, it is doing well.
Mr. Ludlow: How many years is the planting of the King raspberry good
for?
Mr. Johnson: I think it would be good for fifteen years or more if they
are handled as I do it. Keep at the plant, hoeing and spraying them
twice a year; trim out the old wood and keep them healthy.
The President: You take out all the old wood every year?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir.
Mr. Ludlow: When do you do that?
Mr. Johnson: In the fall. I figure this way, every extra cane that you
grow on the plant is a waste. If I see a cane a little higher than the
others I just stop it, and it throws the sap back.
Mr. Berry: Do you fertilize and how and when?
Mr. Johnson: I found I didn't need much fertilizer. I put on wood ashes
and such things when I burn the trimming of the berries and such things.
A Member: When do you spray?
Mr. Johnson: I generally spray in the spring after they get started and
just before they are starting to ripen. I spray them sometimes when they
are starting to ripen, and the berries would pick up in one day.
A Member: You mean to say you could grow them for fifteen years without
fertilizing?
Mr. Johnson: Yes, sir.
* * * * *
KNOWLEDGE of the temperature of the pantry and cellar is
important, in order that one may make improvements in conditions.
Putrefaction will start at 50°, so that a pantry or closet where food is
kept should have a temperature at least as low as that. Cellars where
canned goods are stored should have a temperature of 32° or over. Apples
are frequently stored in outside cellars, where the temperature should
be kept at 31° or 32°; but apples may be kept satisfactorily at 34° or
36°. When stored at the higher temperatures, the fruit should be placed
there soon after being picked.
Annual Report, 1915, Nevis Trial Station.
JAS. ARROWOOD, SUPT., NEVIS.